As a hotspot for researches and application developments in the field of computer vision, a depth perception technology is intended for perceiving shape and distance information of a spatial object. Compared with a binocular stereoscopic camera, a structured light-based active vision depth perception technology may acquire depth information of an image more accurately, and the depth image information acquired thereby has the following advantages: higher stability and reliability, insusceptibility to ambient light, a simple stereoscopic matching process, and a low algorithm computation complexity, etc. In the patent No. CN103824318B entitled “Multi-Camera-Array Depth Perception Method,” the patent application No. CN105120257A entitled “Structured Light Coding-Based Vertical Depth Perception Apparatus,” and the patent No. CN103796004B entitled “Active Structured Light Binocular Depth Perception Method,” they all use a laser image projector or other coded pattern projectors to project a fixed coded pattern for structured-light coding a space, and then use the coding information to perform depth computation. However, in these patents, the coded patterns projected by the coded pattern projectors are generally fixed; it is always the case that through an emitted laser beam, a speckle pattern is formed after interferometric imaging and diffuse reflection on an object surface.
Existing manufacturing methods of coded pattern projectors cost very highly, and in the structured light coding technology, different coded patterns need to be designed for different application scenarios, which in turn significantly increase the research and development costs of a depth perception device. In addition, the coded pattern designed by a coded pattern projector will directly affect the complexity of depth decoding computation as well as the precision and resolution of depth information. Further, a plurality of projecting devices needs to be used during a process of time-space labeling a space using multiple pieces of coded patterns, such that calibration between the plurality of projecting devices not only increases algorithm complexity, but also seriously affects robustness of the devices.
Therefore, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the art to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.